George Simion, leader of Romania's far-right AUR party, who won the first round of the presidential election with nearly 40% of the vote, reiterated that if elected, he would oppose any further assistance to Ukraine and shift Romania’s focus inward.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed their countries' relationship on May 8, vowing to increase cooperation in all areas, including military ties.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
US President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed his hope for "an acceptable ceasefire," with both countries "held accountable for respecting the sanctity of... direct negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky had a "constructive" phone call with United States President Donald Trump on May 8, discussing the war, continued pressure on Russia, and a potential ceasefire.
The survey, conducted between April 24 and May 4, shows that 56.9% of respondents would not be willing to compromise on either territorial integrity or Ukraine’s pro-Western direction in any potential talks with Moscow.
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced on May 8 to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Vatican News.
A Belarusian soldier walks through a newly-built camp on a site previously used by the Belarusian army that was said to be able to accommodate up to 5,000 Wagner troops, on July 07, 2023. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)
The combat effectiveness of the Wagner Group is no longer a factor in Russia's war against Ukraine, Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder said during a press briefing on Aug. 24 in response to a question about the presumed death of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash.
Following Wagner's short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin in June, Ryder said that the Wagner Group was no longer taking part in the war in Ukraine, but according to Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, some Wagner forces had remained in southern Ukraine and eastern Luhansk Oblast.
The U.S. official noted that Prigozhin's mercenaries had been the "most effective combat force on the battlefield" in Ukraine. Wagner fighters played a crucial role in the protracted siege of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, which ended in Russia's capture of the city in late May.
Regarding Prigozhin's death, Ryder stressed that despite the media's focus on the mercenary boss's apparent demise, Wagner remains the real threat, as it is "an international criminal organization, and has conducted horrific acts, both on the battlefield and elsewhere."
Following an undisclosed deal between the Russian authorities and Prigozhin after the rebellion, some of the mercenaries reportedly left for Belarus to provide training support to the Belarusian military, or to various countries in Africa where Prigozhin had engaged in a number of illicit activities.
Ryder said that Wagner's future role in African countries remains unclear, adding that the group has been involved in military or criminal operations in places like Burkina Faso and Mali.
"I don't think anybody's going to discount the potential for danger when it comes to that group or the remnants of that group," he added.
As for Belarus, some Wagner fighters reportedly began leaving the country due to low pay. Their exit has been further expedited by the recent report of Prigozhin and other Wagner leaders' deaths in a plane crash in Russia's Tver Oblast.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Martin Fornusek
